The Great Hippopotamus Hotel by Alexander McCall Smith

Three cases present themselves to the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency in The Great Hippopotamus Hotel, the twenty-fifth book in Alexander McCall Smith’s long-running series. Well, if not necessarily cases then situations that Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi feel obliged to untangle. Maybe not three, either, more accurately two and a half, given that one person, Mr XYZ turns out to play a crucial role in two of the situations. One of them, at least, is a proper case with a paying client. The other two come to them in ways that things do in Botswana, through the web of obligations and relationships that make up the community. Even though one of those is more an obligation that Mma Makutsi takes upon herself, and not for the noblest of reasons either, no matter what she tells herself.

In the first case — the one that is properly a case — the manager of the Great Hippopotamus Hotel speaks to Mma Ramotswe about troubles he is having with the hotel. Mma has seen signs for it on the outskirts of Gabarone and has been curious about the place, but has never had cause to visit. The manager, a man named Babusi, says the hotel has recently had a run of bad luck. Some guests have come down with food poisoning, and the timing there could not have been worse. It was a visit arranged for travel writers and other people who could, he hoped, share good news and improve the hotel’s reputation. Instead the exact opposite happened. Another time recently, a guest had found a scorpion in their shoe in the room. There were other unfortunate happenings, nothing that was inexplicable, but Babusi says it is looking like a pattern. He was also suspicious because the bad luck began shortly after the hotel’s long-time owner retired and passed ownership on to two nephews and a niece. Mma promises to investigate.

Separately, Mma Ramotswe’s husband Mr J.L.B. Matekoni is in a bit of a bind. A long-time customer whose brother owns a car rental company that provides Mr J.L.B. Matekoni’s garage with about a quarter of its income has asked him to buy a flashy sports car. That in itself is no problem; Mr J.L.B. Matekoni has automotive connections that reach beyond Botswana, and he will be able to find something suitable in South Africa. He even has experience managing the annoying bureaucracy of importing such a car. The problem is that his customer, Mr Mo Mo Malala, does not want his wife to know about the car. Mr J.L.B. Matekoni promised his help before he know about the condition of hiding it from Mr Malala’s wife. He cannot go back on his word, and if he did, his business could suffer. He explains the situation to Mma Ramotswe, but she does not see any immediate way out either.

In the course of conversation with an uncle of her husband, Mma Makutsi learns that her nemesis, Violet Sephoto, is set to be appointed to an important public position for which she is completely unqualified. Apparently she has turned the head of one Mr H.J. Morapedi, who is responsible for the appointment. Mma Makutsi resolves to stop this breach of public trust, and by the way block the ambitions of someone she has seen behave nefariously many times. It’s not really a case, and it’s not entirely for altruistic reasons, but Mma Makutsi can be headstrong. To add a layer of complication, Morapedi is one of the three siblings who recently became joint owners of the Great Hippopotamus Hotel.

I find this whole series of mysteries without murders a joy to read. They show the human comedy, even when some people are behaving badly. By and large the people behind unfortunate events throughout the series are not horrible; some are greedy, some have inflated views of themselves, some feel cornered and take desperate measures, some feel they have been done an injustice and decide to extract their due, some are addicted. Mma Ramotswe observes and listens, she extends sympathy as far as possible or responsible, and she acts sternly when the need arises. Along with good advice gleaned from the agency’s copy of Clovis Andersen’s The Principles of Private Detection, that is usually enough to clear up their cases.

This deep into the series, long-time characters’ interactions provide much of the humor. A discussion about the sports car situation becomes a general round of mirth in the detectives’ office, which is right next to the garage. Mma Ramotswe, Mma Makutsi, Mr J.L.B. Matekoni plus the two apprentices Fanwell and Charlie take some ideas and bounce them around; it’s like listening in on lively conversation among people who know each other well, and have for years. It’s a pleasure to read, but McCall Smith does not let readers forget that there is a real and difficult problem lurking in the background. The problem follows Mr J.L.B. Matekoni and Mma Ramotswe home, where he says how much he regrets having made a promise that will cause more difficulties when he keeps it.

“You did what you thought was the right thing,” Mma Ramotswe reassured him. “You were thinking of it from a male perspective, Rra. That is sometimes not the best angle on these things. It’s not your fault that you were completely wrong.”
“Ah,” said Mr J.L.B. Matekoni. He was uncertain what else he could say in response to Mma Ramotswe’s judgement, and so he simply said “Ah” again, and left it at that. (p. 104)

McCall Smith introduces another pair of characters who have potential for recurring. Mma Oteng is a new house mother at the orphan farm, and she brought with her a boy who is very observant but practically non-verbal; he only talks to her. Later, though, Mma Makutsi develops a rapport with him, and he speaks with her a little bit. It transpires that he can also hear Mma Makutsi’s shoes when they talk to her, but the whole thing embarrasses her, and she denies that she ever hears anything from her shoes. I’m sure the boy finds that odd, but McCall Smith does not tip his hand. I like that McCall Smith expands the cast a little, and I hope to see them again, as I hope to see some people from A Song of Comfortable Chairs again. On the other hand I am glad that McCall Smith does not feel the need to check in with every character in every book, but lets people appear as the story requires.

Oh yes, the mysteries all get solved, and not in expected ways either.